Washboard.



1. PATTERSON,

WASHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. I917.

PatentedApnSO, 191s.

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TRUMAN J'AHUGH PATTERSON, 0F ELLIJ'AY, GEORGIA.

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Application filed June 4, 1917.

To all whom it may mama.-

Be it known that I, TRUMAN J. PATTER- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ellijay, in the county of Gilmer and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Washboard: and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in wash boards.

One of its objects is the provision of an automatic soaping arrangement by means of which the clothes are constantly supplied with soap while washing is being done, there being no necessity for the person doing the washing to pause and handle the soap.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for holding a cake of soap near the upper end of the wash board, this means being adapted topermit the easy re moval of the soap therefrom.

Other objects will appear in the detailed descriptionwhich follows.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be confined to the exact constructionherein disclosed, the right being reserved totmake any changes or alterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same.

. Fig. 3 is also a rear view and shows a modified construction of a soap holder.

Fig. 4: isa section on the line l-'4:'of Fig. 2. p t

Fig. 5 is a section onthe line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the means used for limiting the pivotal movement of the soap holder.

Referring to the drawings, the wash board consists of the usual frame 1 to which is attached a sheet of corrugated zinc or other suitable material 2, a board 3 being set in the top of the frame and connecting with the upper edge of the corrugated sheet 2. A rectangular opening 4 is formed in the transverse center of the board, part of the opening bein in the board 3 and part in the corrugate sheet 2. On the front of the wash board the rectangular opening 4: is partially covered by a series of straight wires 5 running transversely across the opening and uniformly spaced along the length Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented s ree, iei. Serial No. 172,836.

thereof. These wires 5 are all integral parts of one continuous wire which is led through holes formed at the top and bottom edges of the opening 4 and made in the board 3 and the corrugated sheet 2 respectively. The wires 5 stretch across the opening 4: only on the front of I the wash board being led through the holes at the top and bottom of the opening in such a manner that they do not stretch across the opening on the back of the wash board, as will be clearly understood by reference to the drawings. A supporting back in. the form of the board 6 is attached to the frame 1 in such a manner as to reinforce the corrugated sheet 2 and thus prevent its being bent out of shape. The

board6 is cut away on its upper edge just back of the opening 4, so that the opening is partly in this board as well as in the board 3 and corrugated sheet 2.

U-shaped or staple members 7 are suitably attached to the back of the board 6 and directly below the opening 4:, these staple members straddling a shaft 8 which has heads 9 at either end abutting the staple members and preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft. By means of its eyes 11 a U shaped member 10 is attached to the shaft 8 between the staple members 7. On the transverse portion 12 of the U-shaped member 10, the soap holder 13-is pivotally mounted by means of cars 14 having holes through which the transverse portion 12 passes. The soap holder 13 is designed to enter the opening 4; from the back when the U-shaped member 10 is raised and the latter is normally held in a raised position by a spiral spring 15 which surrounds the shaft 8 between the two eyes 11 of the U-shaped member 10. The spring 15 terminates in the straight portions 16 and 17 the portion 16 being permitted to bear upon the board 6 and the portion 17 being bent on its end and permitted to bear upon one le of the U- shaped member 10. The torsional strain thus imposed upon the spring suffices to necessity of performing an extra operation to accomplish this. 7

The m'odification shown in Figs. 3 and 5 does not differ materially from the structure shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. The soap holder in this modification comprises a corrugated plate 20 having ears 21 attached to its back. These ears are provided with holes through which the transverse portion 22 of the U- shaped member 19 passes. Collars 23 and 24 are secured to the transverse portion 22 and abut the ears 21 on the inside, preventing any longitudinal movement of the soap holder 20,. The holes in the ears 21, however, are of such diameter as to permit pivotal movement of the soap holder 20 and the free ends of the ears are made semi-circular, these semicircular portions being concentric with the holes. The collar 23 is provided with a radially disposed angular pin 25 whose angled end 26 extends transversely across the outer edge of the adjacent ear 21 where it moves freely about the semi-circular portion of the ear, when the soap holder 20 is turned on the transverse portion 22 of the U-shaped member 19.

The opening 28 in'this modified form is identical with the opening 1 previously described but the back upper edge of the opening is beveled as indicated at 27 in Figs. 3 and 5. The opening is partially covered on the front of the board by the wires 5 attached in the same manner as they are attached in the other form and on the back of the board the opening 28 is straddled by a U-shaped member 29 which is suitably attached on the board6, this U-shaped member also straddling the soap holder 20 when the latter is in its normal position.

With the exception of differing slightly in their relative positions or in their relative dimensions, the spiral spring 30, the staple members 31 and the shaft 32 are like their equivalents previously mentioned, being assembled in the same way and performing the same fuctions.

This modified form is to facilitate the removal of the soap when it is so desired. The soap holder 23 having a corrugated formation is impressed in the back of the soap 33 by the pressure exerted on the U-shaped member 19 by the spring 30. This causes the soap to cling to the soap holder. Desiring to remove the soap the U-shaped member 19 is pulled back against the pressure of the spring 30, when the back lower portion of the soap holder engages the U-shaped member 29. Continued backward movement of the U-shaped member 19 then results in turning the soap holder 20 upward on the transverse portion 22 and this upward movement of the soap holder continues until the upper edge of the ear 21 abuts the angled end 26 of the pin 25 when the soap holder 20 is then substantially in a plane at right angles to the plane of the wash board. If the wash board be in a vertical plane the soap holder 20 is brought to a horizontal plane with the cake of soap 33 on top where the latter can be conveniently removed.

The beveling of the upper back edge of the opening 28, as indicated at 27, is done for the purpose of preventing interference between the front upper edge of the cake of soap and the upper edge of the opening when the soap and soap holder are being withdrawn from the opening.

What is claimedis:

A wash board having an opening near its upper end adapted to receive a cake of soap in such a manner as to expose one face of the soap on the front of the board, a shaft mounted on the back of the board, a U- shaped member pivoted on the shaft, a corrugated plate provided with ears on its back by means of which it is pivotally attached to the top of the U-shaped member, the plate being designed to press upon a cake of soap set in the aforesaid opening, means carried by the U-shaped member and cooperating with the plate to limit the pivotal movement of the latter, a second U- shaped member attached to the back of the board and straddling the opening near the bottom, and a spiral spring in surrounding relation to the shaft and pressing upon the first mentioned U-shaped member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

TRUMAN JAHUGH PATTERSON.

Witnesses;

H. J. JONES, D. J. KEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o Patents, Washington, D. G. 

